Mold stripping and transferring machine



March z,`19z6 1,575,391

W. P. SSTANTGN MOLD STRIPPING AND THANSFERRING MACHNE Filed July 21, 1924 Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNlTi-:D STATES WOICOTT 1P. STANTON, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

MOLD STRIPPING AND TRANSFERRING MACHINE.

Applicatiinl lcd July 21, 1924; Serial Nfo. `727,191.

To all 207mm imag concern:

Be it known that I, VVoLoo'r'r l). STANTON, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Berkeley, county of Alameda, and Stale of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mold Stripping and Transferring 4Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mold stripping and .transferring machine.

In the manufacture of certain types of concrete building .blocks and like articles, a ncwmethod of molding wet concrete and stripping the molds with relation theretohas. been developed. This method forms the subject-matter of my patent entitled Method and apparatus for manufacturing hollow concrete building blocks No. 1,547,530,July 28, 1925. Briefly the method consists in placingV a series of molds end for end inline formation on a suitable support. poured into the first of these molds, then into the second, and sov on. The concrete is `not permitted to set in the molds but, conversely, the -molds areV stripped `or raised with relation to the cast blocks before the concrete begins to set, andthe molds are thentransferred in a raised condition to an advanced-position to be again re-filled. Inasmuch as the .molds are stripped or raised before the concrete sets, it must be realized that the concrete is in a wet condition, which requires careful handling or raising of the molds, as any side movement or slight vibration will cause the wet wallsof the block to Slough lor crumble. It will further be realized that as the `molds are used over and over again that considerable time is lost in transferring them to` the` advanced positions.V

Most of `this work has been hand labor and as such requires skill, experience and time.

The objectfof the present invention is to decrease the cost of manufacture by reducing the `amount of time and labor required, and to improve the quality of the product,

this being accomplished by providing Va machine which*4 will strip or raise `the molds without any danger of the walls of the blocks sloughing or crumbling, and .which will also rapidly transfer the molds to an advanced position.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified 'in the following de- The concrete, a wet mix, is b scription andv illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the mold stripping and transferring machine.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine mold. Referring' to the drawings in detail, A indicates J(he main frame `consisting' of a horizontally` disposed cross-frame 2 and ar cross and end frames may be braced with"y relation to each other by corner angle plates as shown at 4.

The frame as a whole is supported by two pairs of wheels, one pair disposed at each end of the frame.v a support for the frame and permit it to e moved longitudinally of a series of molds generally indicated at 7. These molds are placed end for end in line formation between a, pair `ofrunways generally indicated at 8;' these runways being `provided with V-'shaped grooves 9 which form'tracks or guides for the wheels o.`

, The machine serves two main functions:

rst, that of stripping or raising the molds with relation to the concrete' blocks when castl and, secondly, that. of transferring the molds to an advanced position. The mechanism employed for stripping `or raising the molds with relation to the cast concrete blocks consists 'of two pairs of guide rods generally indicated at 10, one pair being carried by each end frame. A cross-head 11 is slidably mounted and guided byeach pair of rods, and each cross-head is providedwith a rack bar as indicated at 12. A shaft 13 is journalled crosswise of the .frame l2 and a pair of pinions 14 is secured to said shaft. These pinions intermeshV with the respective rack bars 12 and servethe func-- tion of transmitting vertical movement thereto. A second shaft 15 disposed in parallelism with relation to shaft 13 is also journalled in the frame 2. This shaft is provided with a pair of hand cranks 16V by which it maybe manually rotated,'and it is furthermore provided with a spur gear pinion 17 which meshes with a spur gear 18 secured on shaft 15. Each cross-head 11 has an angle bar 19 secured thereto and each These wheels form showing it 1n position with relation to ay y llO crete is not permitted to set and it is therefore necessary to strip or remove the molds as soon as possible after the concrete has been poured. It is for this reason that the machine forming the subject matter of this application has been devised, as it provides means whereby the molds may be readily stripped and raised with relation to the cast concrete blocks, and it also forms a convenient carriage for transferring the molds to advanced positions. After two, three or more molds have been filled with concrete and thev surplus has been removed, the Ystripping and transferring machine shown in Fig. l is moved down the runways until it aligns with the first mold, the crossheads l1, together with the angle bars 19 carried thereby, having previously been lowered so that the angle bars will pass in under the angle bars 2O secured on the sides of the mold, the position assumed being shown in Fig. 2. Then alignment has been made between the angle bars, it is only necessary for the men or operators to grasp the hand cranks 16 and to turn the same. This turning movement is transmitted through the pinions 17 and the gear 18 to rotate shaft l5, and this turning movement is inl turn transmitted through the pinions 14 to the rack bars, causing these, together with the cross-heads and the angle bars 19, to move vertically on the guide rods l0. The mold is thus stripped with relation vto the cast concrete blocks and raised to an elevated position, and as it is now empty and ready for re-use, it is only necessary to push the carriage down the runways 8 until a posif tion is reached, where the mold may be lowered and positioned between the runways in alignment withY the last mold. The carriage is again run back to the next mold, whichy is then stripped and raised, and this mold is similarly transferred to an advanced position where it will later be refilled and again advanced or possibly returned to the beginning of the runway,

The machine as previously stated is employed in connection with the new method of manufacturing concrete building blocks, which is fully described in my copending application. The work, to begin with, depended upon more or less hand labor and considerable care had to be exercised, particularly when stripping the molds, as any slight movement, except in a vertical direction, would cause the wet walls of the concrete blocks to crumble or slough, thus either destroying the blocks orcausing an inferior productto be produced. It might furthermore be stated that a considerable lifting force had to be exerted when first lifting or stripping the molds, as the suction between the wetrconcrete and the walls of the mold must be broken during the first portion of the lifting or stripping movement; thus, there was a tendency to jerk the mold when first starting it. l,

`These objectionable features have been entirely overcome by the use of the machine here shown. First, dueto the gear actuated lift-ing mechanism employed, it is possible to start the lifting movement slowly and gradually, thus gradually relieving the suction action between the concrete and the mold faces. Secondly, it is obvious that the lifting movement will be positively vertical during the whole lifting operation and as this is the case crumbling or sloughing of the walls, as far as the concrete blocks are concerned, is entirely obviated and a perfect product is obtained. Third, it will be noted that the molds are supported in the frame or carriage when elevated and as part of the men or operations is reduced and' a larger output is obtained with the same crew of men.

While certain features of the present inthis is the case it is a simple matter to vention are more or less specifically illus-.

trated, I wish it understoody that various*N changes in form and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. I similarly wish it understoodthat the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or various uses may demand.

Having thus described my lnvention, Lwhat I claim and desireito secure by Letters Patent is- Y 1. A device of the character described comprising a cross frame anda pair of end frames, said cross and end vframes adapted to straddlea series of molds placed in line formation, a cross-head on each end frame, guides for the cross-heads, means for imparting vertical movement to the cross-heads upon the guides in unison, lugs on the crossheads engageable with the molds to raise and support. the same and means supporting the cross and end frames and permitting movement thereof longitudinally of the molds. f

2. A 'device of the character described comprising a cross frame and a pair ofvend frames, said cross and end frames adapted to straddle a series of molds placed in line formation, a pair of guides on each end frame, a cross-head on eachend frame and movable upon the guides, means for imparting vertical movement to the cross-heads in unison, means on the cross-heads engageable with the molds to raise and support the same, and Wheels supporting the cross and end frames and permitting movement thereof longitudinally of the molds.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a cross-frame and a pair of end frames, said cross and end frames adapted to straddle a series of molds placed in line formation, a cross-head vertically movable in each end frame, means on the cross-heads engageable with the molds to raise and support the same, a rack bar connected with eac-h cross-head, a cross-shaft, pinions thereon engageable with the respective rack bars, means for imparting turning movement to the cross-shaft to raise and lower the crossheads in unison, and Wheels supporting the cross and end frames and permitting movement thereof longitudinally of the molds.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a cross-frame and a pair of end frames, said cross and end frames adapted to straddle a series otmolds placed in line formation, a cross-head vertically movable in each end frame, means on the cross-heads engageable With the molds to raise and support the same, a rack bar connected With each cross-head, a cross-shaft, pinions thereon engageable With the respective rack bars, a second cross-shaft, hand cranks thereon to transmit a turning movement thereto, a pinion on said second cross-shaft, a gear on the first named shaft intermeshing therewith, and Wheels supporting the cross and end frames and permitting movement thereof longitudinally of the molds.

WoLooTT P. STANTON. 

